-we've heard it since we were little -
"you attract what you are"
(at least my mom repeats it every time I engage in a discussion with my brother and suddenly boomerang effect: he barks louder).
BUT well, she’s right isn’t she? Isn't it just like when you have good vibes towards a situation and it seems to have a brighter outcome... or when you state that "you woke up with your left foot" and suddenly your day crumbles with unfortunate events. Well, all of these sayings are actually a way we use to explain the concept of our MINDSET controlling how life reacts on us, and so it seems that Carol S. Dwek has done a fine job at synthesizing it in 246 pages.
After a month of reading Dwek's book I’ve learned that growth mindset is essential for everything: school courses, friendships, relationships, leadership, directing/being part of a company, playing a sport, you name it. My perception of MINDSET as a concept though, is what has transformed as the reading came to an end.
After a month of reading Dwek's book I’ve learned that growth mindset is essential for everything: school courses, friendships, relationships, leadership, directing/being part of a company, playing a sport, you name it. My perception of MINDSET as a concept though, is what has transformed as the reading came to an end.
carol s. dwek separates the types of mindset in
two: | [FIXED] & growth Having a FIXED mindset relies in the believe that people's abilities and traits are given; you're rather born with it or you aren't, while in the other hand, in a GROWTH mindset world anyone is capable of stretching their ability in the different areas they decide to persist on. |
[fixed] and growth.
Black and white. This was my initial view on this concept. I thought that you were either one or the other still considering that if you understood how far being growth-minded could take you in life, then you could decide to switch and your whole life would be sort of "transformed"--Isn’t it ironic? I actually had a fixed believe on growth mindset.
The 246 pages are over now and being able to relate to the examples I realized that it's not as easy as deciding, and from being confident that I was entirely growth-minded I saw I could do better (which is a relief). Yes, a first year in the IA has made me adapt growth-mindedness to my working culture through the projects, the transparent feedback sessions and as I enforced areas I didn't trigger before such as writing and oral speaking, but there's definitely other pieces of my life that I choose to set in the "Fixed" aisle. And that, I've figured: is not smart. Because of this, I've decided to create a plan of action in order to fix the fixed. |
"I'm not good at math" "I'm not a numbers person" "it's not my thing".
As I wrote about last semester, I had begun to find math despicable, and complained about it, every, day. Many times I found myself blaming the teacher's ways or setting excuses for my low grades such as having missed the last lesson on calculus. I comforted my ego with the idea that people where innately inclined towards one side of their brain which, if you think about it, is completely natural: there's the creative, there's the intellectual.
Now I know I was mistaken; your brain (the entire two half's of it) is plastic, it can grow if you train it to. It's actually incredible how these two sides are interrelated; listening to something as artistic as a violin composition can make you concentrate in the trickiest problems. You see, I realized that trying to play "the creative" like I shouldn't care about mathematics wasn't going to attract anything positive to my academical life or life in general, because at the end, the ethic of excellence I'm building in the IA should apply to my culture in and out of it.
Now I know I was mistaken; your brain (the entire two half's of it) is plastic, it can grow if you train it to. It's actually incredible how these two sides are interrelated; listening to something as artistic as a violin composition can make you concentrate in the trickiest problems. You see, I realized that trying to play "the creative" like I shouldn't care about mathematics wasn't going to attract anything positive to my academical life or life in general, because at the end, the ethic of excellence I'm building in the IA should apply to my culture in and out of it.
- the plan -
It's a fresh year and I plan to be on the ball since day one, not letting one homework slip in order for the concepts to sink in. I will also use khan academy and watch you tube videos for additional support, because if you have the resources, there's no excuses. Additionally, a math Internal assessment is coming up, and I've embraced it as a challenge: I will learn linear programing while blending it with a clothing project I'm pursuing currently in order to figure the perfect combination of blouses and/or pants taking in consideration the efficiency of production and the costs in order to maximize my profit--how relevant can it get? |
Truly, I’ve never been this excited to begin school and take every assignment as an opportunity to grow. Despite the redundancy I felt the book carried in the first 100 pages, it truly opens your eyes: anyone can master anything...well not exactly, but anyone who’s ambitious to the point where they’re not selfish nor egocentric, but more so, one who is willing to give their 101% without feeling diminished.
I'm not joking when I say it’s not in my interest to be superwoman--no one can be great at everything there is to be--but it feels right to apply this concept to roles that are worth playing in my life: sisterhood, the arts, singing, maybe learning an instrument, and yes--can’t believe I’m finally saying this--even math.
I'm not joking when I say it’s not in my interest to be superwoman--no one can be great at everything there is to be--but it feels right to apply this concept to roles that are worth playing in my life: sisterhood, the arts, singing, maybe learning an instrument, and yes--can’t believe I’m finally saying this--even math.